The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, was last night accused by the Democratic Unionist Party of "backing off" from confronting the IRA's alleged continuing paramilitary activities.
Following 45 minutes of talks with Mr Blair and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr John Reid, at 10 Downing Street, the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, told reporters: "It is the onus and duty on the Prime Minister of this country to see that no terrorist organisation gets into the heart of government of any part of this United Kingdom . . . At the moment, he has not been prepared to face up to the IRA, he has backed off from facing up to them."
Dr Paisley described the meeting as "forthright", adding that he and his colleagues had told Mr Blair "in plain language where we feel that he has failed".
He continued: "What other acts of terrorism, or alleged acts of terrorism, what other businesses of spying on people and having them threatened, what must they do before he says `no, we cannot have you in government'?"
Dr Paisley also urged Mr Blair to clear the way for early elections. "We do need to have an election, we need fresh mandates."
The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, last night urged the British government to immediately set up round-table talks and concentrate on its own responsibilities instead of lecturing his party.
Dr Reid is expected to begin a round of bilateral meetings with the Northern parties next week.
Mr Martin McGuinness is expected to outline in detail today what Sinn Féin wants from the British government.
Speaking yesterday at a Sinn Féin commemoration in Lurgan, Co Armagh, Mr Adams called on Mr Blair to lift the suspension of the Executive and Assembly. He called for action to be taken on a range of fronts to strengthen the peace process. These included policing, demilitarisation, equality and human rights issues.
Mr Adams said: "To many people, it appears there is a tolerance within the British system of the armed actions of unionist paramilitaries. The single focus of the British Secretary of State has been on the IRA.
"He has chosen on a number of occasions to lecture republicans. The British government is not a referee in this process. I do not believe the British Prime Minister has played a positive role, but now is not the time to slip into a single-item agenda. The mistake in suspending the institutions should not be compounded."
Mr Blair yesterday challenged the North's political parties to accept "exclusively peaceful and democratic means" as the only way to move the peace process forward. People had to make "very, very clear" in "word and deed" that they were committed to "exclusively peaceful means" following the suspension of the Executive.
Ulster Unionist MP the Rev Martin Smyth urged Mr Blair to "play hardball" with the Provisional IRA. "It is time the government was more proactive and started using the stick," he said.
Meanwhile, two DUP MPs are joining loyalist paramilitary representatives on a fact-finding mission to South Africa, it was disclosed last night. Mr Peter Robinson and Mr Gregory Campbell will leave next Wednesday. Political representatives of the UVF and the UDA, along with senior members of the Ulster Unionist Party, are also travelling with the group.
The trip has bee organised by the Glencree peace and reconciliation group, based in Co Wicklow. A meeting has been scheduled with the former South African president, Mr F.W. de Klerk.